Buffalo Common Council’s newest member, Demone Smith of the Masten District, began the Tuesday, March 6 session with a brief prayer—a curious, occasional ritual in the otherwise secular halls of governance. Smith asked for God’s blessing; he might have prayed for a fuller understanding of the legislative bodies operating procedures. At the end of the afternoon’s proceedings, Smith found himself in the unusual position of asking the Council not to adopt a resolution he had submitted.

More on that directly. The meeting’s agenda was deceptively long: More than 30 of the 164 items on the Council’s docket were dispatched at once, for example. These were bond resolutions for a number of projects, including infrastructure costs related to returning car traffic to Main Street. The add character of these bonds were that they were not intended to be sold—yet. According to former TV news troubleshooter Tony Farina, now assistant to the city comptroller, the administration wants to have $2 million in bond offerings authorized even though it doesn’t plan to sell the bonds and spend the proceeds this year. It just wants them approved by Council and ready to go for the following year; the projects named in the bond resolutions are being postponed, for one reason or another, but the debt is being chalked up under this year’s $29 million borrowing cap.

It’s a technique worthy of Darcy Regier or Marv Levy, but the only concern about this device expressed in Council was that the administration had taken the decision on which projects to postpone without input from Council. “Is it your opinion that this council played a role in deciding which bonds would not be sold this year?” Ellicott District Councilman Brian Davis asked Farina. Davis clearly was of the opinion that the council had no input in the decision. His rebuke was pro forma, however; he went on to acknowledge that a good number of projects in question were promised in his Ellicott District and so he would approve the action.

Just saying, is all.

The liveliest debates by far attended a resolution submitted by North District Councilman Joe Golombek, an ardent critic of the BassPro subsidy. There are rumors—there are always rumors—that the announcement of a deal is imminent, that a plan will be released that places BassPro in a new-build in what was once the Union Block in the Canal District, next to the rewatered Commercial Slip. The new-build will be fitted with a facade that reconstructs the look of the block circa 1900. Benderson Development will be the builder, and be designated developer for the entire district, including the site of Memorial Auditorium, which will be torn down using some of the state money earmarked for BassPro.

All of this will be controversial for a number of reasons: If the proposed BassPro building is construed as big-box, single-use retail, then it is contrary to the master plan adopted for the Canal District development. That master plan can be changed, of course, but it the change will require a vote of the Common Council. Golombek’s resolution outlined his likely opposition to that change: Titled “Small Business Entrepreneurs Are Key to Creating a Unique, Vibrant Waterfront,” the resolution argues that the most successful retail strips in the city, Elmwood and Hertel, owe their success to small businesses, not big retailers like BassPro. Diversity and mixed uses are what make a thriving business community, Golombek argued. “I am not fond of BassPro going to our historic Canal District,” Golombek said, arguing that Buffalo’s waterfront is one-of-a-kind—as are its small, locally owned businesses—while BassPro shops are nationwide.

Delaware District Councilman Mike LoCurto agreed that the state money for BassPro—$66 million that can be traced back to the Adelphia building boondoggle—would be better used to create a loan fund to lure multiple small businesses to the Canal District. Niagara District Councilman Nick Bonifacio pointed out helpfully that it’s the state’s money, not the Common Council’s, and if it’s earmarked for BassPro and some sort of demolition or rehab of the Aud, and nothing else, then that’s all it can be spent on. (But if it’s not exclusive to BassPro, he added, he could use some of that money over by the Peace Bridge toll plaza. Maybe BassPro would consider setting up shop there…)

Whoa, whoa, whoa, said Brian Davis. If the state wants to spend $66 million in Buffalo, let’s take it. Let’s not send mixed signals that might scare that money back to Albany. Davis argued that $66 million spent on something is better than nothing, and that it’s the Council’s and the Brown administration’s duty to make development plans that leverage the state money and wring as much benefit out of BassPro project as possible. (He said that’s true of the proposed casino, too. Niagara Falls and Atlantic City are blighted, Davis argued, because their leaders didn’t make adequate plans to extract the benefits of casino gambling.)

Golombek’s resolution was referred to the Community Development Committee, and he said he’s call a public hearing some time in the next two weeks so that citizens could come to chambers and tell the Common Council what they’d like to see in the Canal District.

Demone Smith’s resolution was also referred to the Community Development Committee, though at first it was slated to be approved. His resolution is in support of expanding ECC’s downtown campus, a project of County Executive Joel Giambra that Smith worked on as a county legislator. His fellow Council members all thought Smith’s resolution was a good one. Wouldn’t it be even better, it was suggested, if it were to be heard by a committee—which could then call a public hearing on the issue and invite interested parties to come testify and listen to the Council’s deliberations? An approved resolution in support of a project—or against President Bush’s budget, or against the importing of Chinese cars—is nothing but a piece of paper. But a public hearing: That’s politics.

—geoff kelly